


We'll Make It Happen

by gleeksfreaksandwannabes



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Domestic Malec, M/M, alec is a big old softie, rescuing madzie, set after 2x05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 11:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10718274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gleeksfreaksandwannabes/pseuds/gleeksfreaksandwannabes
Summary: A piece from my Tumblr set after 2x05The team sets out to apprehend Iris and free her prisoners, but Alec finds himself a little more attached to a certain baby warlock than he'd bargained for.





	We'll Make It Happen

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, so I know it's been a while, I have a lot of unfinished works on my phone, but I have to find some time to finish them! In the meantime, here's a story that I posted on my [tumblr](http://gleeksfreaksandwannabes.tumblr.com) a little while ago, I hope you enjoy!

They found Iris Rouse a few days later, out in some dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere. It was a tall black shape, blocking out the already hidden winter sun against the colorless sky, the shadows cast by its hulking form looming over them as they stood and gazed up at it, a chilling air settling itself around them. 

The house was made of dark wood, rotted to holes in places from disuse, with its open windows creaking in the wind and what sounded like ravens cawing deep within. Alec shuddered as he remembered all the women Iris must have trapped here, the children…

“Magnus did a great job finding this place,” Jace said as they approached the doorstep “you sure he doesn’t want to come and help?” Alec shook his head, adjusting the quiver on his shoulder,

“He’ll help us restrain Iris if she’s here,” he said “he doesn’t want to see all this,”

“I don’t blame him,” Isabelle said, repressing a shudder as an icy breeze blew past them “this place gives me the creeps.”

“Can we just get this over with?” Clary asked in a small voice. She was holding onto Jace’s arm, her cheek resting against his bicep, though Alec knew it wasn’t to shield herself against the cold.

He had told her she didn’t need to come, that they were simply apprehending Iris and returning her to the Clave, but she had insisted, reminding Alec that Iris might ask for her. Jace had shot him a demanding look, but Clary was adamant that he didn’t need to know. Alec just hoped Iris still didn’t require the same favor.

Clary, to his surprise, let go of Jace and stepped forward, opening the door and slipping inside without waiting to see if they followed her. The interior of the house was just as ruined as the outside, only it was accompanied by a putrid smell that seemed to leak out of every inch of the place. The entryway was dark, almost pitch black, the darkness almost drawing the light from Jace’s witchlight stone as he held it out in front.

“Would you shut that infernal thing off?” came a frustrated voice, its owner looking ghastly as shadows hollowed out her decidedly unimpressed expression “I know you’re here, Shadowhunter, now let me turn on the lights and we can chat like civil human beings.” Jace clamped his hand over the stone, shutting off its light, and in a flash of sky blue sparks, the entryway was lit, revealing Iris Rouse, looking down at them with narrowed eyes. Her gaze fell on Clary and widened slightly,

“Ah, Clary!” the woman said, grinning down at her in such a false pleasantry that Alec saw Jace’s jaw lock “Come to repay your favor?” Jace shot Clary a look, but she ignored him,

“I’m afraid not,” he said roughly as Alec put a protective hand on Clary’s shoulder, his eyes trained on Iris’ hands as her fingers flexed at her sides “we’re here by order of the Clave to bring you back to the New York Institute to be tried for what you did to those mundanes.” Iris clicked her tongue, like a mother who was disappointed in her child – or a creepy aunt, Alec thought, watching her hunch over and speak again,

“Oh dear, Clary,” she said, her beady eyes watching Alec and Jace carefully “it appears your suitors have gravely misunderstood our deal,”

“Uh, no,” Jace got out, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly “no, I’m not – she’s my sister,” Iris narrowed her eyes at him before turning an expectant gaze on Alec, who let out an exasperated breath,

“Still no!”

“Same here,” Isabelle put in bluntly, stepping past Jace to address the woman “so now you now none of us are dating Clary, maybe we could move this along—“ a sound filtered up to them at that moment. A sharp, wailing sound that made them all stop; they had thought it was birds, but now that they were closer, it was unmistakable,

“They’re still here, aren’t they?” Alec asked “Aren’t they?! The women and their children!” Iris’ eyes flicked downward, the movement almost as minute as Alec’s eyes flicking to Jace’s, a silent conversation held in milliseconds. “Iz,” he said, taking his hand from Clary’s shoulder and darting off down the corridor, not needing to look back to see that Jace had grasped Iris’ hands behind her back and that Isabelle was right on his heels.

“So, big brother,” she said, nearly missing a corner as Alec randomly darted in and out of yet another room “any clues on where these kids might be?"

“Probably the basement,” Alec said absently, rounding yet another corner “Madzie!” he called, opening each door they passed. He didn’t see the quizzical look his sister shot him as he wrenched open a door by the dingy kitchen, letting out a relieved breath as he saw it opened into a set of descending stairs. 

In hindsight, Alec probably shouldn’t have run straight down the stairs with his weapons still strapped to his back, and he definitely shouldn’t have let his bow slip off his shoulder the minute he saw what, or rather who, was in the filthy basement they had now found themselves in.

There were about a dozen cribs in the room, all but one containing a whimpering infant. In the dim light from the basement window, Alec could see pale limbs moving as the babies cried and thrashed about, and his stomach dropped as Isabelle activated her witchlight and he saw the source of the wailing sound, the occupant of the last dirty crib, and the one who was holding it. Madzie was clutching the baby in her tiny arms, struggling with holding it as she shushed desperately, bouncing her arms slightly to try and silence the screaming.

She was filthy, Alec realized with an uncomfortable jolt to his stomach, the little pink dress he had last seen her in was dulled by a layer of grime, the occasional stain of food or the Angel knows what else on her shoulder and over her skirt. Her hair - Alec had thought it was beautiful and soft the first time he had seen it, like duck down – was now slicked over the top of her head with grease, the frizz sticking out at all angles and hanging in her face. Her little dark eyes were wide, and she watched him warily as he put a hand out to stop Isabelle from approaching and moved forward, crouching down so they were at eye level.

“Hey,” he said gently “remember me?” Madzie nodded silently, a small smile appearing on her lips, but disappearing as the baby in her arms let out a distraught wail, and she went back to shushing it, her little face contorted as she desperately tried to silence the child. She was small, Alec thought sadly, too small to be tending to a baby that was almost her size, and certainly too small to be tending to a room full of them.

“Here Madzie,” Alec said kindly, holding out his arms, only slightly, so as not to frighten her “let me help. Can I hold the baby?” Madie hesitated, clutching the baby to her “It’s okay if you don’t want me to,” he told her, but she handed him the baby, watching as he gently rocked and bounced it, making hushing noises until the child fell asleep,

“There we go,” he said gently. Isabelle was at his side then, taking the baby from his arms and returning it to its crib “Are you all by yourself down here?” Madzie nodded slowly “Where are all the other women?” she pointed upstairs, her little gills moving just above her tattered scarf as she looked up,

“Some of them are sick,” she said in a small voice “the babies make them sick,” Alec was returned with nauseating force to his mother telling him about warlocks and how they were born when he was a child.

‘Warlock pregnancies are incredibly dangerous for mundanes,’ she’d said ‘Some mothers don’t even survive the pregnancy. Something so powerful that it can destroy the body from the inside out before its even born must be restricted, Alexander…’ 

“What about the ones who had their babies?” Alec asked, forcing the memory from his mind “What about these babies’ mothers?”

“Nana is making their heads feel better,” Madzie told him, and Alec’s stomach lurched uncomfortably; Iris was still wiping mundanes’ memories, still forcing them to create more warlocks against their will, and she was convincing this little girl that she was helping them.

“Iz—“ he cleared his throat, surprised at the sudden weakness in his voice as he addressed his sister “Izzy, call Magnus, tell him we need his help getting everyone out of here, then contact Aldertree, ask him what the best way is to deal with the mundanes.”

“On it,” she said, stopping by Alec to squeeze his shoulder “we’ll fix this, big brother,” was all she said, giving Madzie a quick smile and a wave before climbing the stairs again, her heels clicking on the hardwood floors.

“Madzie, honey,” he said, turning back to the little girl “do you remember who I am?” she nodded firmly,

“Nana hurt you,”

“That’s right, I was here visiting your nana. My name is Alec, remember? I’m here to help you, just like you helped me, but I need you to do one little favour for me first. I need you to take my hand,” he offered it to her, and she looked from his hand to his face, calculating behind her little eyes “can you do that for me?”

“OK,” Madzie said, taking Alec’s hand in both her own. Trying to push aside the warmth that caused in his chest, Alec spoke again,

“That’s a girl,” he encouraged her “now I’m going to stand up, and we’re gonna go upstairs, is that OK?” Madzie nodded, allowing him to stand and holding tight onto his hand. 

Hers were so small in his grip, each one holding a few of his fingers and part of his palm as they walked, “My friends are just down here,” he was telling her “they’re gonna make sure that everything’s OK, we’re going to help you have a warm bath and some clean clothes, and then maybe something to eat, does that sound good to you?”

Madzie’s grip had lessened on Alec’s hand as they walked back through the house and she grew more comfortable with him, but he felt her tense as they reached the entryway again, and he saw Jace, Isabelle’s and Clary’s eyes on them.

“Hi Madzie,” Clary gave a little wave, but Madzie stepped behind Alec, her hands now gripping his pants leg tightly as she shyly peeked out from behind him.

“Who’s this?” Jace asked as Alec gently put a hand on her shoulder, guiding her out from behind him so he could pick her up and set her on his hip,

“This is Madzie,” he told his brother “It’s OK honey,” he said to Madzie as she buried her face into his chest “this is my brother Jace,”

“It’s OK, kiddo,” Jace smiled “lots of girls are nervous around me at first, you’ll get used to it.” Alec rolled his eyes, putting Madzie down so she could go to Clary, who introduced her to Isabelle “So who is she?”

“She’s a warlock,” Alec said “her mark is the gills on her neck, I checked,” he said, knowing Jace would ask.

“Apparently, she’s Iris’ goddaughter,” Clary put in, and Alec turned to her and saw that Isabelle had set Madzie on her hip and was letting the little girl play with her hair, twisting it and sifting it through her small fingers,

“Where is Iris?” he asked.

“Outside with Magnus and the representatives from the institute,” Jace replied.

“Magnus is here?” Alec asked, trying to look around his brother.

“Well yeah,” Jace smirked, “you asked Izzy to call him, didn’t you? Oh, and they didn’t send Raj, I checked. Apparently, he isn’t up to hanging out with Magnus, or you for that matter,” he raised his eyebrows suggestively, but Alec ignored him, leading the way out to the front of the house, where Magnus had imprisoned Iris in a glowing cage, her wrists bound with cuffs of the same magical fire, the flames licking down her hands as she tried to use her magic.

“I wouldn’t bother, darling,” Magnus said lazily “being the High Warlock of Brooklyn, my enchantments can be entirely magic-proof, and entirely dangerous at the flick of a wrist should you try and break free,”

“How dare you!” Iris spat at him “How dare you use the title High Warlock and then conspire with them to stop me! Our numbers are depleting by the minute, Magnus, Valentine’s men are setting us up like pigs for slaughter, or even worse, capturing us for his depraved experiments! My home was the solution! Don’t you want a solution?”

“Of course I do!” Magnus turned on her, and Alec held out a hand to stop the others from going any further “Don’t you think I care that our numbers have diminished?”

“Then why stop this?” Iris looked as if she wanted to rattle the bars on her cage in desperation, but didn’t dare touch the magic “My women are bearing a new generation of warlocks! I can raise a new crop of soldiers against the circle, to protect our people and the Downworld as a whole! These women were perfect, they were strong, young, healthy!”

“They were also mundane women who knew nothing about the Shadow World until you dragged them into it!” Magnus shot back,

“I thought you cared about building up our numbers!” Magnus hesitated, his breathing so deep and heavy that Alec could hear it from the doorway,

“Not like this,” he said, sounding suddenly very tired “take her,” he stretched out a hand to conjure a portal, averting his eyes as it drew Iris in and the shadowhuters from the institute followed.  
Alec moved forward slowly as Magnus dropped his hand in defeat, gently taking Magnus’ in both his own when he reached him,

“Magnus,” he said quietly, running a gentle thumb over the back of Magnus’ hand “I’m so sorry,” Magnus let out a breath through his nose before looking up and offering a small smile,

“It’s alright, Alexander,” he murmured “it was for the best,” Alec gave a small nod, lifting Magnus’ hand and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it,

“Still,” he said gently “it must have been hard,” Magnus whispered his thanks before letting go of Alec’s hand and putting on a smile,

“So,” he said to the others “I hear I’ve got some mundanes to relocate!”

 

“It’s best if we send the babies to orphanages,” Magnus said a few minutes later as they all stood in the basement “that way we can be sure they’ll be taken care of,”

“But what about when the mundanes realize they’re warlocks?” Clary asked in a small voice “shouldn’t we send them to Institutes or to Idris instead, that way the people who take care of them will be from the Shadow World,”

“We can’t guarantee a Shadowhunter would want them, biscuit,” Magnus said sadly “your kind hasn’t historically been welcome to outsiders. If we send them to mundane orphanages, they’ll at least have a chance of growing up in a loving home, at least until their warlock marks show, and if not…” Magnus trailed off, images of water and strong hands and never-ending blackness bursting behind his eyes. 

Alec placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, running an affectionate thumb over it. Magnus placed a hand over Alec’s, offering him a warm half smile before turning back to the first of the cribs.

Before long, each of the babies was being sent through Magnus’ portals to an orphanage, equipped with a basket and a heartfelt note about why its birth parents couldn’t keep it. Alec found Jace as Magnus finished up with the last few cribs, running a hand through his hair,

“What about the mothers?” he asked, “The ones who are still pregnant, they’ll still be mundanes with no memory of the Shadow World having warlock babies.”

“There’s nothing we can do about that, buddy,” Jace replied grimly “The Law doesn’t allow us to interfere with mundane lives and expose our world unless they’re in immediate danger,” he patted his brother’s shoulder apologetically before Alec noticed his eyes had caught something behind him “You’ve got a shadow,” Jace said with a grin, and Alec turned to find little Madzie looking up at him.

“Hey,” he said gently, kneeling down to her level. He realized with a pang to his chest that Madzie’s eyes were glistening with tears, and her bottom lip was wobbling. Suddenly Madzie was throwing herself against Alec’s chest, her little arms tight around his neck as she cried into his shoulder, and every now and then he caught a sob that sounded suspiciously like ‘nana’.

“Shh, Madzie,” he said gently. Wrapping one arm tightly around her middle, he placed the other hand on the back of her head, stroking through her brown curls soothingly as she whimpered “I know, honey, but nana has to go away for a while, OK?” Madzie pulled back for a moment, tears glistening in her eyes and rolling down her little cheeks,

“Will she come back?” she asked in a small voice, her little brown eyes wide as she looked at him. Alec felt his stomach twist uncomfortably; there was no way Iris was coming back. After Jace’s, Izzy’s, Clary’s, Magnus’ and his reports and her testimony under oath, the Clave could lock Iris up for life. Madzie could never have a guardian for the rest of her life. The thought of this sweet little girl never having her godmother again made him sick to his stomach, this little girl who had saved his life without a second thought, even though he was a complete stranger and a shadowhunter, who had warmed up to him the way no downworlder child ever would to a shadowhunter, who gripped his hand in both her tiny ones and who never left his side despite the stories warlocks undoubtedly told about Shadowhunters, just like the stories his mother had told him about downworlders.

This child, without an ounce of prejudice in her body, with so much bravery in her tiny heart, would never have a family of her own again, and Alec owed it to her not to get her hopes up.

“I don’t know,” he said truthfully, swallowing past the lump in his throat “but for right now I need you to do me another favor, OK?” Madzie nodded, sniffing, “I need you to be brave,” Alec said gently, wiping at the tears on her cheeks with the pad of his thumb “We’re going to make sure you’re safe, but I need you to trust me. I know everything’s scary right now, but I know how brave you are Madzie, I’ve seen it, so I need you to show everyone how brave you are, OK?” Madzie nodded after a moment, but her eyes widened as she caught something behind Alec. He stood and turned to find Magnus approaching,

“It seems like we’ve missed one. Who’s this little angel?” he said, offering Madzie a little smile, but she cowered behind Alec’s legs all the same,

“This is Madzie,” he said “she’s a little shy,”

“I see,” Magnus knelt down in front of Alec “I hear you’re a warlock Madzie, so am I.”

“She has the prettiest gills for her warlock mark,” Alec said.

“Do you?” Magnus asked as Madzie slowly peeked out from her hiding spot “If I show you my mark, do you think maybe I could see your gills?” Madzie hesitated a moment, looking up at Alec and, at his nod, she nodded to Magnus, stepping out from behind Alec’s legs. Magnus blinked slowly, and when his eyes opened, they were the green-y gold of a cat’s, glistening like jewels in the dim basement light. The pupils were black slits, shining in their own way against the bright green like polished black opals. Alec found himself kneeling beside Madzie, watching in awe as she reached forward to touch Magnus’ face. He shut his eyes as she got close, and she filched slightly, before reaching out again and lightly touching Magnus’ eyelids with both her hands, her fingertips ghosting over the skin before resting on his cheeks as Magnus opened his eyes again.

“You like them?” he asked gently, and she nodded, pulling off her scarf to show Magnus her gills. Her little face was apprehensive, but it relaxed into a sweet smile as Magnus beamed at her “They’re beautiful, sweetheart,” he said kindly “don’t ever hide them again, OK?” Madzie nodded resolutely, her little face set in determination as Alec’s heart swelled,

“I don’t want to send her to an orphanage,” he said eventually, making everyone turn and look at him “I mean, I – she needs a good home, I don’t just want her to go anywhere – I want to make sure she’s gonna be OK-“

“Alexander,” Magnus said gently “don’t worry, we’ll make it happen. We’ll take her back to my loft for now, and we can start going through my downworlder contacts tomorrow, alright?” 

Alec let out a relieved breath; Magnus always seemed to know what he was saying even before he did “Is that OK with you, angel?” he asked Madzie “Would you like to stay with Alec and I?” Madzie nodded without a moment’s hesitation, her little curls bouncing as she captured Magnus in a tight hug.

Jace, Isabelle and Clary made their leave, and Magnus and Alec returned to the loft with Madzie. Alec set about letting her have a bath while Magnus conjured up a spare bedroom, and when Alec made his way into the room, he couldn’t help but laugh. Magnus had given Madzie a pink bed, stacked with cushions, stuffed toys and fluffy pink blankets and decorated overhead with a lace canopy and fairy lights. He had given her a bookshelf filled with children’s novels and a pink bean bag for her to sit in, a white dresser and matching vanity, decked out with all the clothes and hair clips she could ever ask for, and he had painted the walls a pale blush, with a soft white carpet underfoot.

“What?” Magnus asked when he saw Alec in the doorway, trying to bite back a smirk “You don’t like it?”

“You’re spoiling her, Magnus,” was all he said before making his way into the living room.

 

Once Madzie had had a bath, eaten dinner and was wrapped in a pair of soft pink pajamas, she was playing pretend with Magnus in the living room while Alec took a shower, and he returned to a sight that almost took his breath away.

Madzie and Magnus had stopped playing, and were now lying on the couch. Magnus was lying on his back, slightly propped up by cushions under his head, while little Madzie lay sprawled out on his stomach, her head under his chin. Magnus was stroking one hand slowly through her curls, while the other was creating blue sparks for Madzie to play with, and she reached out with a hand to run her fingers through them. She was staring in fascination at them as they landed on her fingers, on the couch, on Magnus, before they disappeared.

Alec felt a sensation similar to a bubble being released into his chest at the sight, like warmth slowly floating up into his heart as he watched. Watched this little girl, who had barely spoken to him, to Magnus, when they had first met, who was terrified of strangers, and who had been living a life of all day labour, listening to the sounds of babies crying and of the demon shrieking and growling in the basement and in her dreams, who was now finally content, finally acting like a normal child should, exploring and being curious and learning. She was finally comfortable enough to cuddle with a complete stranger, trusting him with her entire being, and being totally enraptured by what he was showing her.

And then there was Magnus. 

Magnus who, Alec knew, had had a terribly painful childhood, and who was utterly broken at Iris’ breeding of warlocks, was allowing this child into his home, because he knew the future she would face if he didn’t. A future of uncertainty and danger, a future of knowing that you were not wanted, not loved, by anyone, because you were an abomination, a mixture of human and the purest evil of the Shadow World. He and Magnus were sheltering her from all that for now. For now, Madzie was allowed to be a normal little girl, safe from all the creatures of the shadows, and maybe, just maybe, they could keep her safe together.

The little bubble in Alec’s chest reached his heart, enveloping it in warmth and bringing a smile to his face as he watched Madzie, who was staring in awe as Magnus conjured up a ball of blue magic in his hand, letting it float towards her and pop on her nose, showering her outstretched hand with blue glitter as she giggled.

“Maybe you could do that someday,” Alec said gently, and she looked up at him, her little eyes glistening with wonder,

“Really?”

“Really,” Magnus told her, tapping her little nose gently “only if I get to teach you, of course!”


End file.
